A Merry Christmas

We kept the White for Christmas! Looking out our window the day after, it looks like most of it is gone due to a warm rainy night.

In between installing batteries, loading software, trouble shooting peesky electronics and evacuating wads of wrapping paper, I made this video to savor the spirit of the day.

Ending the Start of Summer

As a teacher, I mark the start of my summer when my school year ends. Working in Montgomery County while living in Lancaster County results in a staggered start of summer; when my children begin their summer break (typical in Lancaster is the very beginning of June), and when my summer break starts about two weeks later.

Having done several workshops last week, today is the first day of the first week when I am not required to report to work. In two days it will be July, which is staunchly mid-summer in nearly everyone's mind. So as infrequenlty as my blog entries have been, it is time for an update.

Travis began his job at Dutch Wonderland. He has started as a parking lot attendant and should be moving into the security department now that he is 18 years old. He has only been scheduled a few days a week. Outside of work he has been doing some chores and going to the movies fairly frequently.

Pamela started her second year at Dutch Wonderland. She works in the entertainment department. Sometimes she works as a guide for Duke the Dinosaur. It is hard to see in that suit, so he needs a guide to lead him around. He also needs someone to let him know when it is time to take a break since that suit gets very hot inside. Pamela, on occasion, has also been able to be Duke. They say she is a natural at it. She also serves as a host to the various shows that they have there. She works four to five days a week. While not working, she is an ultimate Frisbee fanatic.

Kimberly has a small job cleaning house for a woman in our church. When she is not working there, she has been spending time with friends, mowing her section of the lawn (and often Travis and Pamela's sections as well), riding her dirt bike and talking on the phone...endlessly. Kimberly will be playing goal keeper in a field hockey tournament in Mid-July.

Angela plays with a few friends in the neighborhood and watches TV. She and I went on the father/daughter camp out on our church's farm last weekend. The weather was very pleasant and much fun was had.

The Curse Is Lifted

After so many years of doing the Shape & Race Derby with Travis as a little guy, and doing miserably, the curse has been lifted. Angela has been attending an Awana Club at Grace Baptist Church in Millersville. They just held their first Shape & Race Derby this evening. No, Angela didn't take first place, but she did win 3rd place for best design.

The evening started off as expected. In the first heat of 4 cars, Angela took a solid fourth place. I thought, "Oh no. Here we go again." But then, in her second heat, she took first place. And in the third heat; first again. Her last heat slumped a bit at third place.

So, we didn't stink and looked pretty good. That's a win in our book.

Letter To Arlen Spector

This is a family blog, and primarily will continue to be one. The Recently passed stimulus package really has me bugged, though. The current state of the economy is a problem, and it has affected my family by slashing the value of our very small investment nest egg (for college and weddings, etc.) in about half.

Does government have to do something? Is President Obama correct when he says that only government can get us out of this fix? My answer to the first question is, "I'm not sure." My answer to the second question is, "Bull puckey!" Certainly justifying this stimulus package simply by saying that it is the "right size and scope" is like sending you daughter to a beauty contest in a clown suit and saying it is the right size and covers everything that needs to be covered (and so much more). This ignores that fact that it is ridiculous and will be mournfully ineffective.

This is already more than what I wanted to post, so let me say this. I was embarrassed by the three spineless republicans in the senate that voted for this package. Particularly embarrassing was the senator from Pennsylvania, Arlen Spector. His assertion was that we had to do something and this package was the only one that he had the opportunity to vote for, so he did.

That leads me to the letter I sent to him on Thursday. It reads as follows:

Dear Senator Spector,

I read the explanation of your vote for the stimulus package. I also heard your interview with Sean Hannity on the air shortly before your vote. I can't say that I was disappointed in your vote, because I have come not to expect any better from you. It is beyond my comprehension how you, or any other elected representative could vote for a package that you haven't even read and simply state that it is "the right size and the right scope."

Saying that we had to do something and that is why you voted to do this is like throwing a drowning man a rock and saying that you had to throw him something. Although you would have preferred to throw him something that floats, the rock was all that someone would hand to you.

Watch out for Pat Toomey or some such challenger in your next primary. He very nearly took your nomination away last time around. This decision of yours will likely tip the vote next time around. For principled conservatives in Pennsylvania, there will be much rejoicing.

Tom Bueche

We have an opportunity here to draw a stark contrast between conservativism and liberalism. For those that think republicans need to become more moderate to win more elections, think again. JOhn McCain put that notion to bed. Will the republican party resurface as the natural home for conservatives? Now is the time to answer the call. Will republicans pledge now to stop the remainder of the stimulous package in 2010 if they are re-given a majority in congress? Sixty percent of this package's immense spending will have yet been spent by then. Or will the money be allowed to be squandered just like the republicans squandered their majority power over the past 10 years or so?

November News

My dear OLD dad turned 75 in November. Loretta and I threw him a surprise party, and surprised he was! We had a fairly large number of people there and they all took some time to say a few nice things (and other things) about him on video. I edited them together and posted the results below.

By the way, this video is not on YouTube but on MotionBox.com. I am testing it out. The quality of video seems appreciably higher, especially with the darker scenes.

If you have about 13 minutes, and you know my dad, give it a view.

Rough Start to the New Year

Loretta took a fall outside while carrying a double armload of stuff. With her arms full, she was unable to break her fall. With the wind knocked out of her, she was in a lot of pain and needed help getting up. It didn't take long to decide to get her checked out at the ER.

You know how emergency rooms are. We got to spend a lot of quality time together waiting in all the different waiting places they had for us. A few times we took a break from waiting and got some x-rays taken and spoke to the doc. Her ribs are just bruised, but she did break a bone in her wrist - her navicular certain to be exact.

Loretta has a temporary splint and will get a cast soon; most likely tomorrow. She is on Vicatin and has already discovered the need to watch her food intake while on that drug.

Snow Birds Flew the Coop

Mom and Dad started the new year off by leaving the Great White North. They left for Florida today and the weather helped them leave any regrets behind. The temperature was in the low twenties when they left...And they left in a hurry. So fast, in fact, That about four miles down the road they pulled over and called me.

"Hello?"

"Hello, Tom?"

"Yes. Calling back so soon?"

"We kind of forgot to bring Rambo with us. Could you bring him out to us?"

Anyway. We got to say good-bye one last time.